February 26, 2018

ECFA Governance Toolbox: Succession Planning

Issue No. 379 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting notes that every CEO is an interim CEO—and it's best to avoid buses and boredom. And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies) and on this page, check out my Top 10 Book Recommendations of 2017, and my Book-of-the-Year pick.

Every CEO Is an Interim CEO

Hot-off-the internet from ECFA is a jam-packed tool on succession planning—and it’s free to ECFA-Accredited Members (and just $69 for others). Click here for:

Stream the four short videos at your board meetings (or a board retreat) and download copies of the 20-page Read-and-Engage Viewing Guide. The 10-page Facilitator Guide provides three discussion options (based on available time). The guide also directs leaders to a webpage with a robust list of books, articles, templates, and other resources.

One of the resource books mentioned, by William Vanderbloemen and Warren Bird, note that with the right theology, ministers will understand that “every pastor is an interim pastor.” (Ditto every CEO.) In their book, NEXT: Pastoral Succession That Works, they write:

“Few ministers consider that truth. Few are eager to admit that their time with their present church will one day end. But ultimately, all pastors are ‘interim’ because the day when a successor takes over will come for everyone in ministry. Planning for that day of succession may be the biggest leadership task a leader and church will ever face. It may also be the most important.”

The toolbox (fourth in the series from ECFA), delivers practical insights and next steps for these 11 critical principles:

Vanderbloemen and Bird also caution that one size doesn’t fit all. “As the variety of successions in Scripture illustrate, our universal recommendation about succession is that there is no universal recommendation. Healthy succession is more art than science.The plan and details must be tailored to each situation. It is also a deeply spiritual process that calls for prayer and recognition of God’s leading.”

For more resources, follow along on the 11-part blog series on the toolbox, especially Part 1 here, “Succession Planning: My Heart Had Left the Building,” with insights from Hans Finzel’s important book, The Power of Passion in Leadership.

Want to avoid a chaotic transition? You should also read Chief Executive Succession Planning: Essential Guidance for Boards and CEOs, by Nancy R. Axelrod (from BoardSource):

“It might be tomorrow; it might be 10 years from now. But someday, your chief executive is going to leave your organization. Is there a well-thought-out plan in place?Can you expect a smooth transition? If not, his or her departure could trigger a chaotic situation that reduces your organization's effectiveness and panics key stakeholders.”

CFO to CEO: “What happens if we invest in developing our people and then they leave us?

CEO: “What happens if we don’t, and they stay?”

Visit ECFA to order:ECFA Governance Toolbox Series: Succession Planning – 11 Principles for Successful Successions: “Every CEO is an Interim CEO.” (Note: It was my privilege to write this toolbox and it was personally helpful to me as a board member of Christian Community Credit Union as we navigated a CEO search this year.)

Your Weekly Staff Meeting is emailed free one to three times a month to subscribers, the frequency of which is based on an algorithm of book length, frequent flyer miles, and client deadlines. We do not accept any form of compensation from authors or publishers for book reviews. As a board member and raving fan of Christian Community Credit Union (a non-profit), we proudly list the credit union as a sponsor at no charge.